Inde Navarrette Isn’t Just a ‘Crazy Girlfriend’ in Obsession

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With audiences increasingly appreciating strong acting in genre films, Inde Navarrette’s performance in Obsession is a standout horror debut that deserves attention. The film centers on Bear (Michael Johnston), who makes a wish for his crush to love him, but gets far more than he expected. Navarrette plays Nikki, the object of his wish, with a captivating vulnerability. She portrays a woman consumed by an unnatural devotion, fluctuating wildly between frightening and sympathetic. Nikki is a truly unsettling character, constantly threatening to explode with violence, yet Navarrette manages to make her surprisingly human. Through fleeting moments where the real Nikki shines through, and even in her most alarming actions, Navarrette brings a relatable sadness to the role. It makes you wonder, who hasn’t acted a little irrationally when in love?

What makes Navarrette’s performance even more remarkable is that this is her first major role in a horror film, and only her second feature film after appearing in the series 13 Reasons Why and Superman & Lois. Navarrette, who describes herself as easily frightened, says making Obsession meant confronting her own fears. She even admits to racking up a $350 electricity bill because she slept with all the lights on! To calm her nerves, she created a comforting environment, playing videos of drag queens Trixie and Katya, watching something on her laptop and phone, and using Alexa to play white noise – anything to help her relax.

The role of Nikki in ‘Obsession’ was very demanding. When I first read the script, I was intimidated by pretty much everything. I knew it would be a huge challenge, but I saw that as an opportunity to push myself. I was particularly worried about the screaming – I don’t naturally have a very high voice, so learning to do it convincingly was scary. The vocal work, the long speeches, the physical demands – I wasn’t sure I could pull it all off, but I worked a lot with the director, Curry, to get it right.

It’s interesting you brought up the screaming – there’s a lot of it in the movie! I actually thought to myself while filming that you must have amazing control of your voice to be able to do that without losing it. I didn’t really consider how much strain it was putting on my voice until after I lost it, but it actually ended up adding to the scary effect. Michael Johnston, who played Bear, is a professional voice actor, so he was always giving me tips and remedies – he really took care of me like a mother would. It was great having him around.

It’s interesting, I recently read an interview with casting director Curry Barker who mentioned some actors can pull off unsettling behavior but struggle with genuine fear. He said you managed both really well. How did you find that balance when playing Nikki?

I drew a lot of inspiration from Mia Goth. When you watch her work, especially in films like Pearl, X, and MaXXXine, she always portrays a fully human character first. Any ‘crazy’ behavior feels secondary. I wanted to do the same with Nikki – not play her as ‘crazy,’ but as someone experiencing incredibly strong emotions, feeling everything intensely. While it’s often frightening, my goal was to make her relatable, so audiences could connect with the person underneath the surface.

The comparison to Mia Goth is spot on. Before this project, were you already familiar with her work, especially as a horror fan? I actually saw MaXXXine a month or two before we started filming Obsession. I was really struck by the contrast between her public persona in interviews and the characters she plays, and I found that incredibly inspiring.

When I saw MaXXXine and how relatable the character was, I knew I wanted to incorporate that quality into my own characters, which I did with Nikki. However, it was Curry who suggested we watch Pearl for vocal inspiration. I took cues from the humanity of Pearl and Mia Goth’s performance, while Curry pushed me to explore Nikki’s vocal range and expressiveness, focusing on a more visual approach to the character.

What I really appreciate about Nikki, and how it connects to the character Pearl, is that she’s frightening, yet you still feel sorry for her. That was definitely something I focused on throughout the process. I never lost sympathy for Nikki. To play her authentically, I had to see her as a victim, not a villain. I always approached her with empathy – imagining her as a trapped animal, stuck and volatile. The magical wish just amplifies everything. That’s where the fun came in. Establishing that sympathy and empathy was the base for everything, allowing me to fully embrace the intense screaming, movements, and overall heightened performance, because ultimately, it is fun.

When you’re really going for it in front of others, you basically have two choices. You can get self-conscious, shut down, and risk not being able to authentically portray the scene or feeling. Or, you can just let go and commit to it, not worrying about how it looks. I chose the latter, but I made sure to focus on genuinely feeling the emotion first. Once I did that, everything else came naturally.

It’s easy to feel bad for the real Nikki, the one hidden beneath the spell, but the Nikki we mostly see is also a victim of circumstances beyond her control. It’s heartbreaking because she deeply loves this guy, but he’s sending mixed signals – wanting her, then pushing her away. We see moments of genuine happiness in their relationship, and it’s clear that she feels she needs to play a certain role to maintain that connection. That creates a real sense of sadness. Throughout the film, there are many layers to her character, inspiring both sympathy and fear. As an actor, I tried to create that emotional complexity and put the audience on an emotional tightrope during the performance.

The process of reaching such intense emotional levels, as you described, was challenging, especially when the director encouraged even more intensity. It’s just acting, and it can be really enjoyable. However, sometimes your body reacts in ways you don’t expect. To achieve Nikki’s performance, I often had to deliberately frighten myself, particularly when switching between different sides of her personality. I found that genuine emotion came when I acted before my body fully registered what was happening. While that could be draining, I coped by driving home and blasting music, or by singing songs like “I’m like a bird” with the crew after each take. I also made sure to step outside and take deep breaths to reset.

Haley Nicole Johnson was a key producer on this film and a huge support to me, especially during Nikki’s scenes. She’s incredibly talented, and just knowing she was there, looking out for me, gave me confidence to really push my performance. Michael and Curry were also like that – I felt completely supported by them. There were some potentially difficult moments during filming, but working with friends made the whole process much easier and less stressful.

One of the most unsettling things about Nikki is how unexpectedly intense she can become – you’re never quite sure what she’ll do. Could you talk about how you approached the timing of these moments to make them feel so spontaneous? That really plays to Curry’s strengths. He’s incredibly insightful about people – he loves observing them and understanding their psychology. When it came to timing the scenes, I had my own ideas, but Curry would refine them, shaping them to perfectly fit his vision. Over time, I started to anticipate what he wanted, and I began to incorporate my own sense of timing as well.

I used to love creating a playful, slightly unsettling persona – especially when I’d say ‘I’m your freaky Nikki.’ I also enjoyed the dramatic pause before repeating ‘no’ – it became a game of figuring out how to playfully unnerve Michael. It felt like letting my mischievous side come out, and it was a lot of fun.

One of the most interesting things to me about this performance was the physicality – specifically, those wonderfully awkward, jerky movements. It turns out the really funny popping and locking was all us – me and Curry – just figuring it out together. He’d guide me, showing me exactly how he envisioned it, and honestly, it felt a bit like being his puppet! I did have some dance background, which helped, but he had a very clear idea of what he wanted, and we worked it out pretty quickly. It was a surprisingly collaborative, if slightly controlled, process.

I tend to focus on physical aspects if I can’t express an emotion convincingly. It’s less about natural ability and more about simply being the character. I relied on the director to explain things at first, but eventually, I understood his vision.

We discussed the empathy people feel for Nikki and the complexities of her character. There’s a common, and often unfair, trope in movies and TV of the “crazy girlfriend.” Did that come up during the filmmaking process? Honestly, it did cross my mind early on, but I realized that simply avoiding that stereotype felt wrong. I can’t quite put my finger on why. My real goal with Nikki was to portray her in a way that people who’ve been labeled as the “crazy girlfriend” could feel seen and understood, recognizing the reasons behind their actions.

Sometimes Bear acts one way privately, while Nikki faces the consequences publicly, which creates a dynamic of control and manipulation. I wanted to show the contrast between what happens behind closed doors and what people see. It wasn’t about painting Nikki as unstable; I aimed for a realistic portrayal so viewers could connect with her and understand her actions, maybe even think, “I’ve been there, and I get why she reacted that way.”

As a movie lover, one thing that really struck me about this story is the character of Bear. He probably started with good intentions, wanting to help Nikki, but he’s ended up taking away her ability to make her own choices. What I really appreciate about the writer, though, is that you genuinely understand both sides. You see where Bear is coming from, his motivations – it’s not that he means to hurt Nikki, but his actions definitely do. We can’t just brush that aside. And it’s also heartbreaking to see how the wish is affecting him. It really comes down to the difference between what someone intends and the actual impact of their actions, and the story explores that beautifully.

As a huge horror enthusiast, I’m really hoping to see more of her work in the genre, and I’m thrilled to hear she feels the same way! She described doing horror as incredibly therapeutic and enjoyable – she’d honestly do it forever! And the idea of being called a ‘scream queen’? She seemed absolutely delighted, calling it the ultimate honor. It’s amazing to hear her passion and excitement!

There’s a huge variety in horror movies these days. You’ve got everything from the intense style of Rob Zombie films to socially conscious horror like Get Out, and deeply psychological stories like Hereditary. With so many different types to explore, I could watch horror forever. So, absolutely, let’s do it!

It’s a really exciting time for horror right now. The recent Oscars seemed to show a new appreciation for strong acting in the genre, with both Amy Madigan and Michael B. Jordan taking home awards. I was thrilled when they both won! Michael’s performance in ‘Sinners’ is honestly one of the best I’ve ever seen, and Amy’s performance was just incredible – truly wow-worthy.

You mentioned Nikki going to an extreme level with her performance, and Amy seems to do that too. People have commented on a lack of concern for appearance in these performances. Was that something you actively worked to achieve, or did it come naturally? I was immediately ready to fully commit, and I discovered a real sense of liberation in embracing a less conventionally attractive portrayal. There’s something freeing about not worrying about vanity – not needing to consider angles or lighting. It allows you to fully express yourself, to scream, to get messy, and to truly immerse yourself in the performance.

It wasn’t about overcoming a challenge for her. Nikki didn’t care about her appearance; she simply wanted to be desirable to him and fulfill all his needs. The fact that she looked awful while saying this actually highlighted her devotion, because she wanted to be perfect for him, even though she wasn’t physically at her best during parts of the film.

When you’re completely absorbed in someone or something, personal hygiene often falls by the wayside. It’s like, you just forget about it, and someone needs to tell you, ‘Hey, you should really take a shower!’

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2026-05-18 17:57